Construction for braces



I. TUTTLE. CONSTRUCTION F( )R BRI\CES. .APPLICATIONIILED 007. 24, 1918.

Patehted Mar. 30, 1920.

TINTTE i curios.

WALTER I. TUTTLE, or PROVIDENCE, RHODE snnnn, nss enon, TQ FRANK ossnnneCOMPANY, or ATTLEBORO, assacnnsnrrs, n CORPORATION or. nnonn ISLAND.

CONSTRUCTION FOR BRACES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented.

Application filed October 24, 1918. Serial No. 259,484.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER I. TUTTLE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented an Improvement in Construction for Braces,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of braces and the like, andmore particularly to the end or thrust handles thereof. One of theobjects thereof is to provide a construction of the above type ofeflicient action and strong, dependable structure. Another object is toprovide a construction of the above type whichshall be light in weightand cheap in manufacture. Other objects will be in part obvious and inpart pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the structure hereinafter described and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one or more variouspossible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation cut awa through the handle; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the handle portion thereof, on anenlarged scale.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing. I

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a brace having acrank portion 1 with shank portions or end members 2 and 3. It is to beunderstood that these shank portions may be formed inte al or separatefrom the intermediate portions of the brace, and that the term shank isused broadly throughout.

Secured to the end member 2 is the device which is operated by thebrace, here shown as a socket 4, to form a socket wrench.

It is clear, however, that a chuck or other tool, or tool-holding membermay be employed at this point, and many of the advantages of theinvention achieved.

This invention is a modification of that disclosed in my co-pendingapplication, Serial No. 256,646, filed Oct. 31, 1918, and the featuresthus far described are common to the two forms.

Referring now more particularly to the opposite end of the brace,especially as shown in Fig; 2 of the drawing, there is preferablyprovided a sheet metal thrust handle member 5.

This member is preferably composedof a sheet metal. cylindrical bearingportion 6, surrounding the free end of shank 3, and havingan integraloutstanding annular flange. 7. 7 i

A sheet metal. grip. portion 8 has the-usual external confirmation ofbrace grip handles, and is symmetrically fitted over the flange 7 thesaid flange being curved to fit closely in the interior of the gripportion.

The grip portion is permanently secured to the flange 7, by rivets, spotwelding, or simllar means, as shown at 9.

The unitary structure of the grip portion 8, and the bearing portion 6,are mounted on the end of brace portion 3 in a manner to permit theshank 3 to rotate within the bearing portion, but to prevent the gripand its bearin portion from coming oil the end of the shank.

I prefer to achieve this object in this apin Fig. 1 of the drawings, andis formed by gradually tapering a portion of the shank as shown at 10,and providing an abrupt shoulder 11 at right angles to the axis of theshank, joining that part of the shank of smallest diameter with the mainbody of the shank below it.

The cylindrical bearing portion 6 is preferably swaged over thegradually tapering portion of the groove, and a small space 12 is leftbetween the inner edge of the swaged portion and the shoulder 11.

The swaged portion thus prevents the thrust handle from being removedfromthe shank portion. The central portion of grip member 8 preferablyabuts the extreme end 14 of shank member 3, thus limiting the movementof the thrust handle toward the socket portion 4. The thrust handle isthus maintained by the abutment at 14 and the swaged portion 10 fromrattling on the shank 3 without interfering with the freedom of rotationof the shank within the bearing portion 6.

The above construction forms what is termed the thrust handle asdistinguished from a possible handle on the crank of the brace, and itis to be understood that this term thrust handle is broadly usedthroughout.

In the action of the device, the shank member 3, is securely locked intothe thrust handle member, but is free to rotate with respect theretoregardless how much pressure may be applied to the thrust handle. Norotating parts, however, are exposed to the hands of the user.

It will thus be seenthat there is provided a construction in which theobjects of this invention and the above-noted as well asother advantagesare gained.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention andas various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, itis to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

In brace construction, a swiveled handle comprising in combination athin hollow metal handle member having a curved inner surface, a bearingmember provided with a tubular bearing portion and with an 0utwardlyextending annular flange which is curved to fitthe inner surface of saidhandle member, adjacent its central portion and is secured thereto andreinforces the same substantially throughout its radial diameter, saidhandle member being shaped to substantially inclose said bearing member,and a shank member having a bearing within said tubular portion of saidbearing member and a circular recess with which said bearing memberinterlocks.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this21st day of October, 1918.

WALTER I. TUTTLE.

